Chosen
by AdrianaRose
Summary: Jareth lost the game and thus his position of power. Who will step forward to claim such a wild land?
1. As the Worlds Fall Down

Ok…so here is the deal. The Crystal Dancer story was scrapped. None of the characters wanted to cooperate. Instead, this story was born. So far, everyone seems to be cooperating. 

Disclaimer: It goes without saying…I don't own the Labyrinth. Any new characters, however, are mine.

Chapter 1:

As the Worlds Fall Down

As the sun began its early morning assent a myriad of colors washed over what remained of the once mighty Labyrinth. Once feared and revered by even the most noble of the Fae, the Labyrinth stood lifeless, a testament to an event many simply referred to as The Great Defeat. Its exterior, for all intents and purposes, seemed unchanged, though a careful eye could see the crumbling façade and the many stones piled at its base. It was the interior, and the great Castle Beyond the Goblin City that caused the breath to catch and, even on a few occasions, startled cries to escape passer-bys and residents. Entire sections lay in ruin, disrupting what remained of a beaten path. Those walls that remained no longer moved of their own accord, their magic long gone. A sad wind blew across the wasteland, kicking up dust and rustling through the leafless trees of what had been the Fiery Forest. The wind moaned through the empty streets and alleys of the abandoned Goblin City, a diminishing patch of tiny and remarkably fragile houses. Only the youngest structures remained standing and even those looked as if they would fall at the next strong gust.

The sun crawled ever higher into the sky, its light losing its hazing undertones as it spread over the Castle. Its sharp, jagged shadow stretched across the dieing Labyrinth like the shroud of Death himself. What had been the great beating heart was now only a deteriorating masterpiece, as if Time had finally caught up with the ageless structure. Everyday the Castle changed as another part of it fell victim to the memory of the Great Defeat.

A great silence unlike anything the land had ever known hung like a heavy blanket, despairing those few souls that chose to remain. Most were beings too set in their ways to pack and leave for greener pastures like their children and neighbors had done without second thought. They were content to spend their remaining days observing the final fall of their home, voluntary witness to the end of an era. They would stay until the last stone turned to dust and then they too would pass into shadowed memory. Every morning they woke, surprised another day had come. Few did any work, blatantly aware of the futility, resigning themselves to the shadows and recording the final days either with ink or within their own minds. And, for the 1826th time, the Observers noted a stark white figure perched precariously in one of the castle windows. There he would stay, until the last of the sun's rays disappeared beyond the horizon, waiting for his world to finally cave in and take him with it.

* * *

Sarah wept openly, arms wrapped protectively around her swollen abdomen as she curled herself further and further into the corner of her tiny one-bedroom apartment. Pain tore at her but she was too weak to react to it with anything more than a whimper. Everything had gone wrong, everything since that night six years ago. The night the fairy tales shattered and she was left with nothing more than regretful memories. Emptiness so deep and pure had consumed her and not even her friends could bring comfort. Her soul ached, tugged and pulled to something she could not see, only feel on the edge of perception. It was like seeing something in the corner of her eye but every time she turned it was gone. Or maybe it had never been there to begin with. Either way left her empty, a zombie that had crawled thoughtlessly through the years. And this was what it had come to, laying alone in a rat-infested apartment, agonizingly aware of how her life and the life within her flickered with each wave of pain. 

"Momma, Momma," she whispered, her voice a ghost of her former self. There was no Momma. There never was. There was only Karen and a handful of magazine clippings. Both had served as nothing more than glaring reminders of one more thing life denied her.

Another wave of pain ripped through Sarah's small frame and with it another tiny whimper. She felt her body shaking as she slid along the wall to the floor, her head hitting with a slight thud. In the beginning she had screamed and begged for someone to help her, but in this neighborhood screams were ignored. Resigning herself to defeat, the young woman pressed her face into the musty carpet, wishing it would simply end. She was done, she had had enough. _Please just let it be done._

The tiny life within her stirred, pleading to the dormant mother within Sarah. How could she wish for death knowing it meant the death of this innocent being? It was not this child's fault things were as they were. She clutched at the carpet, a sudden burst of adrenaline pushing her to move. She would die, of this she was painfully aware, but she could not let the same fate befall the child. There was no plan, merely the knowledge that she had to save the baby. Hope rose as she felt herself inch across the carpet only to shatter with another burst of pain. She rolled onto her back, eyes focusing in and out on the water stained ceiling.

"Help. Please, someone…anyone."

Her hands groped the space around her, her mind hazy with pain, fatigue and a small voice crying. Sarah didn't know what she was searching for, just something, anything to keep her tied to this world. Her right hand glanced across something soft and instinctively she grabbed the small stuffed bear. It wasn't Lancelot, but it was comfort enough as she clutched it to her chest, body shaking with silent sobs. The room spun around her and she quickly shut her eyes, feeling her mind slowly leaving reality.

"As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you. Every thrill has gone. Wasn't too much fun at all. But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down", she sang, cradling the teddy bear as if it were her child. In her delirious state she had no idea what she was singing, or where the song came from. All she knew was suddenly the screaming within her mind began to hush. They were slipping, she could just barely feel it.

"I'm so sorry. I wish…I wish someone could have been here…to take care of you."

Sarah's head fell to the side, eyes losing focus. As she felt the darkness surround her she could not tell if those were boots or just her coffee table legs in front of her.

* * *

Great black clouds rolled over the Northern mountain range with an audible roar, waking the Observers from their empty reveries. Like moths to a flame they left what meaningless tasks that had undertaken for that day to gaze as one upon the encroaching darkness. A select few had been wise enough to bring their journals, written records of the final days, for only they could sense the finality within the unnatural clouds. No one spoke, no sound was made as the morning light was pushed back, allowing great shadows to cover the land. 

Three Observers took their usual posts before the Labyrinth's great doors, the only ones brave enough to take such a precarious position.

"So, it has finally come," spoke the small fox, his regal clothes tattered and filthy, his speech no longer cultured.

The great rock singer whimpered beside him, his fur no longer the copper red his friends remember. "Sawah."

A great wind blew across the sand, a low scream that drowned out the steady scratching of the goblin's quill as he did his best to put to words the unfolding events.

"Aye, Ludo. Sarah."

Another wind, another guttural scream tore through the ruble that lay beyond their sight behind the last of the walls. As one, the three friends slumped their shoulders in accepted defeat. Before this day, they had spent their time in trying to come up with ways to stop what was now happening, to save their world, but they had not the resources to even begin such undertakings. And so they stood, waiting for the world to fall down around them as they had always known it would.

Suddenly, the wind stopped and the three turned their eyes upward. All around the Labyrinth the clouds had stopped their rolling to lie like a thick curtain over the sky. For what felt like years the silence filled their senses and quietly they wished it would just be over with.

As if agreeing to their request, the air around them began to vibrate and crackle with the last tired remnants of magic. A shrill scream erupted from the center of their world and with a snap that could be heard and felt the magic gave up its hold. Like a ripple in a pond, destruction radiated from the finally collapsing castle, consuming all. The Observers watched with sadness and relief as death swept out in a great wall of dust, claiming what it had waited so long to have.

* * *

Lord Z'har stood unafraid atop one of the great northern peaks, watching with sick satisfaction the destruction of his rival's kingdom. For eons it seemed he had tried to claim the land for himself. True, it was mostly desert and produced little, but the power it contained was immense. He always felt the Goblin King had wasted that power on his Labyrinth and child snatching. Greater things could be had with such power and it was Z'har's opinion that he was the only one capable of realizing the hidden potential. It would be his now, he had made sure of that. With a wicked grin he looked down at the bundle he carried so carefully, caressing the sleeping face with a single finger. 

"You are my key, little Adriana. Such a pretty name your mother left for you," he cooed. He looked back up at the destruction before him, triumph written clearly on his ageless face before he turned and mounted his griffin. "Come, Misha, let us take this little angel to her new home. We have so much to do now." The griffin cried out in agreement, eager to leave this place of dieing magic, and leapt from the mountain face.

Behind them a single tower rose from the settling dust, a grave marker among the rubble. There were no Observers to note the ghostly white figure that remained perched in his window, still waiting for the sun to set.

* * *

I want to know what everyone thought. Please review. Thank you. 


	2. An Undeniable Claim

Well, I had been hoping for more reviews for Chapter 1…but oh, well…maybe a second chapter will help…

Standard disclaimer applies…

Chapter 2:

An Undeniable Claim

For the first time in years, Addy did not feel like a child and she was not quite sure she enjoyed it. She sat in the tall grass of a hill that overlooked her garden, a birthday present from years past, watching her griffin Niamh, another present, gamble among the flowers. Absently she played her violin, filling the air with a pleasant yet haunting melody of her own creation. It was her way of clearing her mind, allowing her to focus on the important events that were beginning to unfold before her. Tomorrow she would be considered an adult and, according to her father, would finally be able to take that which belonged to her. He had spoken of her birth right many times before, a land unclaimed that lay just beyond the mountains that formed his land's eastern border. A land, he said, full of potential simply waiting for her young mind to shape it. Of course, he would be there to help her along the way.

Her music faltered and Addy took that as her queue to stop. With a sigh she set her violin in the grass beside her, the sunlight causing a myriad of colors to dance along the mother-of-pearl coating. The spell that had altered the original cherry finish of the instrument had been one of her first and she was still quite proud of it. She sighed, laying back into the grass, watching the wisp like clouds above her. Altering a musical instrument was one thing, but how was she, a motherless child whose magic had not blossomed until late adolescence, supposed to change a land? Father seemed confident in her abilities, yet she wondered how much of that was fatherly sympathy.

"Are you worrying again?"

Addy rolled onto her side to stare at Niamh's large, golden-brown eyes. The griffin lay in the grass beside her, head resting upon her crossed paws. She sighed and scratched her friend between the eyes, grateful for the minor distraction.

"I can't help worrying, Niamh. We leave this afternoon for the High Council. And after that, for our new home. How could I not worry?"

The griffin snorted and sat up to look back at the castle that was their current home. Addy sat up with her, watching her friend with a sense of wonder. Niamh was younger than her by many years yet there seemed to be a wisdom about her that Addy had only witnessed before in elder Faes.

"Your father would not send you forth without the belief that you are capable of this undertaking. It is something very new for you and it is expected that you be weary of the task." Niamh turned back to her and nuzzled her shoulder. "Don't worry, though. I will be there." Addy smiled and wrapped her arms around the creature's wide neck, burying her face where feather and fur met.

She felt the warm sun on her back and tangled her fingers deeper into the griffin's soft fur. It would be midday soon; her father would want to leave. Addy would not say goodbye to this place. In her mind, to do so would be to cut herself off from it completely. This was her home, the only one she had ever known, and severing the ties would be tantamount to removing a limb. There would be a new home, a new garden, but this was her first, now and forever.

Reluctantly Addy released her grip on Niamh and, grabbing her violin and bow, rose to survey the garden once more. Sighing, she secured the instrument to her belt and stretched her arms above her.

"What do you say, Niamh? One more race?"

There was no answer, only a playful growl as her friend took off down the hill. Addy laughed, rushing down after her, basking in the childish moment with the sad knowledge that it may be their last.

* * *

Addy was not surprised to find her father waiting in his study. Nor was she surprised to find him slightly disappointed. He stood from behind his desk, stacking the papers he had been working on with nimble figures as she crossed the room with Niamh close behind. His bright emerald eyes gave her a once over and further disappointment wrote itself clearly across his face.

"I suppose you can change clothes when we get there, though I was hoping to avoid any delays," Lord Z'har spoke as he came around the desk to embrace his daughter.

"I'm sorry, Father. Niamh and I wanted to spend some time in the garden before we left. I did not want to risk ruining any of my good dresses." Addy looked down at the simple gray dress she wore, noting the tiny grass and dirt stains she had collected. Z'har, holding her at arms length, took notice to them as well and frowned.

"Yes, well I will just have to transport us straight to our chambers. At least do something with your hair."

Addy sighed as her father turned his back to fiddle with something on his desk. It was easy for him to ask. His long black hair was the straightest she had ever seen and did not fight against being tied back. With a simple spell, she produced a silver ribbon and attempted to tie back as much of her wavy ebony locks as she could. Anything fancier would require spells and lots of luck and if she was going to change clothes there really was no point. As she dropped her hands to her side she already felt several unruly strands slip from their binding. Not for the first time she wished she had been given her father's hair instead of the mess that had obviously come from her mother.

Z'har turned back around, tucking a small bit of parchment into his vest pocket. He had dressed in his finest white shirt and shimmering silver vest and his black pants and boots matched the color of his hair perfectly. There were no wrinkles, no stains to mar his perfection. Suddenly, Addy was as dissatisfied in her own appearance as her father had been. She lowered her head, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Z'har did not seem to notice.

"Are you ready," he asked, though Addy knew he already expected a particular answer.

"Yes, sir."

"Very well." He grabbed her hand and led her to a large, full length mirror in a corner behind his desk. With a flourish he waved his free hand over the glass. Addy watched, not for the first time, with amazement as the surface rippled and swirled until it no longer reflected her father's study but rather their luxurious apartment within the Grande Palace. She felt a shiver of excitement run down her spine as they stepped through the portal and immediately into their destination. Would she ever get use to mirror travel? Behind her, Niamh purred softly before bounding off into Addy's personal quarters. Z'har pushed her gently in the same direction before making his way to one the arm chairs that sat before the great fireplace.

"Go get ready. They will be expecting us soon."

* * *

Rhea sat at the head of the Great Hall and for a moment allowed her self to rest her chin in the palm of her leather clad hand. But only for a moment; as Elder of the High Council she had a certain image to maintain. It was especially important because her fellow council members, Azel and Darius, were still sitting stick straight. Rhea smirked. Those two had youth on their side, though they did not look it initially. Both had dyed their hair to the same shade of silver-white the Elder sported naturally, a common practice of younger council members. Some how the idea had been passed down through the generations that silver hair meant age and thus wisdom. Rhea did not argue the wisdom of her compatriots, but she had also known plenty of council members who had only been wise in appearance. She was glad to have Azel and Darius by her side. They had proven themselves several times over and she trusted their judgment sometimes more than her own.

The Elder shifted slightly beneath her royal blue robes as the large mahogany doors of the Great Hall opened. A tall, slender man walked across the gold-veined black marble floor, everything about him screaming over-confidence.

"Lord Z'har of the Eastern Provence," called the herald from just within the doorway.

The High Council stiffened as one at the name. They knew Z'har all to well. More times than necessary he had come to them with the request to take possession of the fallen Goblin King's land. Years ago he had stopped coming before them and it had been their hope that they had finally gotten the message across. It seemed now he had only taken a respite from his attempts. As he made his way to the center of the room, he bowed with a great sweeping motion. If Rhea did not know better, she would have sworn he was mocking them with the gesture. Instead, she nodded her acknowledgement and folded her hands upon the desk before her.

"Well met, Lord Z'har. What brings you before us this day," she asked, trying to hide the slight irritation that filled her voice as she thought of the only reason he had to be in their presence. She also tried not to smile as she heard Azel sigh beside her. Obviously, she was not the only with a reasonable idea as to what the Lord wanted.

"Esteemed Elder and council members," the Lord spoke in a voice that was almost sickeningly sweet, "may I present to you, my daughter Adriana."

All three council members gasped as a young woman stepped from the shadows of the doorway, trailed faithfully by a young griffin. The three turned to each other then back to woman, stunned into silence. She was short by Fae standards with hair the color of coal coiled in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her gown was a simple sleeveless cream affair that played well with her rosy skin. At her waist she wore a black belt from which hung of all things a violin. Instead of the typical gloves, she wore black ribbons that wound from her palms to her elbows, leaving her hands free to play should she feel the need. All these things were splendid, no doubt, but her accessories were not what caused the council's shock. Rhea leaned forward and stared openly at the woman as she curtsied before them, her deep brown eyes gazing down in reverence. Lord Z'har smirked at their response, unaware that Azel had seen him. Though she had been captivated by the young woman, Azel did not miss the reactions of those Fae seated around the room, legal witnesses to the day's proceedings, nor that of Rhea and Darius. She cleared her throat, breaking the spell.

"Well met, Adriana," spoke Azel. "Please, come closer." She noted the woman's nervousness as she stepped forward, coming to an unsure halt no more than ten feet from the council desks. Azel watched with some amusement as the woman held out her right hand and the young griffin settled close beside her so her hand could rest comfortably upon its head.

Darius visibly shook himself out of his stupor and quickly turned his gaze from the beautiful young woman to Z'har. "This…she can not be your daughter. What is the meaning of this?"

All three noticed the confusion on Adriana's face as she turned to look back at her father.

"What game are you playing, Z'har," Darius continued, his voice growing sterner. "This woman holds no Fae blood. She can not be your daughter. Explain yourself."

Rhea felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she watched the girl turn slowly back around to face Darius, her jaw slack. She looked every bit like a rabbit cornered, eyes wide and frantic as she watched everything crumble before her. Darius was right though, Rhea could not argue against him. There was not a single drop of Fae blood within the woman, yet the Elder could feel power emanating from her, an ancient power even to her. A power she had thought long gone.

"I must admit, you are correct," Z'har's voice broke the brief silence. "Adriana is my adopted daughter. I rescued her from Above when she was only a babe. But you can not deny she belongs here, can you Elder?" The entire room turned its attention to Rhea as she leaned back in her seat, gray eyes still locked on the confused woman before them. No, she could not deny the woman belonged among them just as she could not deny the power the radiated from her.

"How?" The word was barely a whisper from Rhea's mouth but carried throughout the Hall.

Z'har smiled his wicked smile and the three council members felt their blood run cold. "How, I do not know. I merely recognized her for who she was, is, and raised her accordingly. It is because of who she is that we stand before you today. Tomorrow she comes of age, and thus eligible to claim that which is quite obviously hers, don't you agree Elder Rhea?"

Rhea sighed deeply, running a hand across the back of her neck. All those years they had thought Z'har had given up his goal of the Goblin Kingdom when in fact he had been cultivating the perfect means to acquiring it. And the poor child had never known.

"Azel, Darius, witnesses," her voice cracked as she stood with arms outstretched to the trembling young woman, "may I present to you the heir and future Queen of the Goblin Kingdom."

Two gasps rang through the Hall, first in response to Rhea's proclamation, the second as the newly named heir fainted, caught by her observant griffin.


	3. A Choice Made

Sorry this chapter took so long…it was actually written weeks ago, I've just been so busy. I hope to finish chapter 4 before life gets more crazy, but we will see…

Disclaimer: Surprise! I don't own the Labyrinth

Chapter 3:

A Choice Made

Spices. A touch of vanilla. Addy's swimming mind frantically latched onto the comforting aromas that surrounded her, pulling her out of bleak unconsciousness. Her fingers flexed, brushing against rich silk that whispered sweetly beneath her touch. A fire crackled somewhere nearby and she could just feel the gentle warmth on her face as she turned her head towards the sound. Something rustled as it moved closer and Adriana could not help but tense, her eyes refusing to open. A soft, warm hand brushed against her brow, soothing her nerves with just a touch of magic.

"Niamh?" The griffin's name was the only thing Addy could command herself to voice.

"Your devoted friend is just outside, my dear," whispered a voice so sweet and kind that Addy could only hope her own mother had spoken to her with such a voice. "It was rather difficult convincing her you would be alright in my care. And your, _ehem_, father was sent back to your apartments for the time being."

Addy's eyes snapped open at the mention of her father as the memories of what had unfolded rushed through her mind like flood waters breaking through a dam. In one fluid movement she leapt from the bed, brushing the Elder's helping hand away as she teetered on unsure legs. She clutched her head between her hands, a futile attempt to stop the room from swaying around her. A feeble cry escaped her lips as she crumbled to the floor, her knees cracking painfully against the hard wood. On the edge of her perception she could hear Niamh growling and scratching just outside the room. In a flurry of blue robes the Elder knelt before her, milk white hands covering her own. Addy could feel the old woman's magic tingling against her flesh as it tried to sooth her frantic mind.

"What your father did to you today, in front of so many, is inexcusable. That he waited so long to tell not only us but you the truth is only another example of his true nature. I should not speak ill of your father, I only want you know that this is unfortunately expected behavior."

The gentle hands released their comforting grip only to return with a corner of the Elder's robe to dab at tears Addy did not realize were falling. Thoughts, voices, faces from the Great Hall ricocheted through her mind, refusing to fall into any kind of manageable order. She could feel a scream building deep within her as well as the encroaching emptiness of unconsciousness.

"No, no, no," the young woman's voice was no more than a sigh but the pain within it cried out to be heard. Her eyes fixed on the fire across the room, forcing her mind into a mild concentration while her hands groped at her skirts frantically. "No, no, no." Her fingers collided with a single string on her violin, sending a soft, clear note ringing through the confusion.

Rhea leaned back quickly as the woman removed the instrument from her belt and immediately brought it up to play. There was no hesitance as bow met strings and a rich, violent melody unfolded before her. The Elder watched, fascinated, as magic sparked in the young woman's eyes with each pass of the bow and she wondered once again how this child from another world had come to possess such power. Most of the Underground was a simple place. Rulers were chosen either by birth or by the High Council and they were accepted without question. Only one place refused such practice, the Goblin Kingdom but more specifically the great Labyrinth at the heart. Many in the beginning had attempted to tame the wild land only to be met with failure. The land had remained unkempt for many ages, inhabited by only the equally unruly goblins. Until the day the land finally chose.

She could remember the day it happened for she had been one of the few to witness it. She had been a scholar then, one of the Universities most celebrated instructors, and had taken some of her students on a trip to see the Untamed Land. They had remained in the mountains as she discussed the many failed attempts to claim the land, not wishing to alarm the goblins or their land. Any fool could feel the innate magic that pulsed through the land but only Rhea seemed to notice the sudden quickening of the pulse, the air tingling with an electrical excitement. Judgment told her it would be wise to leave, that something was happening that had never happened before. Trying not to appear outwardly nervous, she quickly instructed her students to open their portals and return to the classroom, that the lesson would have to be postponed for another day. Before any of them could obey, the electricity in the air snapped and Rhea felt and saw the ancient magic leap from the land like a bolt of lightning. She watched in awe as it rose above them then arched back down to strike the heart of her youngest pupil. It was then that the land chose without question Jareth of the Northern Province as its ruler.

And now she watched that same magic dance along the strings of a violin played by an Aboveground orphan. Rhea could not understand. How had this child come by such power? Why had the Labyrinth chosen her?

The beat of the music slowed suddenly, loosing its anger to a sad march. The young woman's eyes closed as the air around her began to hum in time with the music. A deep sense of calm filled Rhea even as she watched dozens of palm sized crystal balls solidify in the air around them. They spun and darted without obvious purpose, some passing dangerously close to their faces. The woman played on, swaying with the music, oblivious to the chaos that surrounded her. One by one the crystals began to slow, changing course to circle around the musician, bobbing in time with the march. Rhea stared in wonder as the crystals circled, every once in a while one switching place with a neighbor. It was then, as a sense of order overcame the tiny orbs, that the Elder realized each ball carried an image, a memory from the events of the Great Hall. The child was trying to make sense of chaos and the magic within her was helping. Rhea had never seen magic manifest itself in such a way. Wielded and controlled, yes, but never such a willing participant.

As one, music and orbs stopped and as the last note faded into memory so did the orbs. Addy sighed and slowly opened her eyes as she placed her instrument on her lap. Her eyes, dark and sad, looked to Rhea not for guidance but with simple acceptance.

"I am not one of you," she spoke, voice steady, "yet this power has been within me since birth." She raised one hand and motioned subtly to the single door beside them. Niamh stepped into the room with controlled steps, though it was quite easy to see the young griffin wanted nothing more than to run to her friend. She sniffed the air, noting the fading hint of magic, before curling up beside Addy, her head on the young woman's lap.

"From my first breath I was chosen."

Rhea could only nod.

"The will of the Labyrinth is strong, isn't it? I could not deny it even if I tried."

The Elder rose from the floor, dusting her robes absentmindedly, eyes still locked on the strange woman seated before her.

"No, child. No one can deny the Labyrinth. It has marked you, out of all the souls Above and Under, to be its ruler. We may never know why you were chosen. We can only accept it." She held out a hand to the young woman to help her stand. "Will you accept it, Adriana? Will you bare the responsibility gladly or will the land have to force you to bend?"

In one fluid motion, Addy stood up and secured her instrument to her belt, ignoring the proffered hand.

"Would it have mattered if Z'har had taken me from Above as a babe? Would the Labyrinth have found some other way to bring me here?"

"Yes, child. Though you were born Above, it seems you were meant to be here."

With a nod, Addy walked over to the hearth and took a seat in one of the overstuffed armchairs, Niamh taking a watchful position beside her. If there was such a thing as destiny, she was certainly caught in the middle of it.

"Why did he wait so long to tell me," she asked as the Elder took a seat across from her.

"What you must understand, dear, is that Z'har has craved that land for many years, more so after the fall of its last leader. I believe he hoped you would turn to him in the face of this turn of events or that you would crumble beneath the weight of it all. Either way he would come to your aide and in doing so, gain control of what he longed for all this time. I realize your world is falling down around you and that to hear such harsh things about the man that raised you will only add to the grief. But I hope you will listen to me when I say your father is not the kind man you thought he was. Today should be evidence enough." The Elder reached across the distance between them and took Addy's hands within her own. Their eyes locked and Rhea could not help but be surprised by the calm wisdom she saw contained in those deep brown eyes. Yes, the Labyrinth had chosen this girl for a reason. "Z'har wants power. That is all he cares about. And he is willing to sacrifice anything to attain it. The power of the Labyrinth is ancient and it is strong. Are you willing to protect it at all costs, even from your father?"

Rhea felt Adriana tremble as the last of her world fell to her feet, exposing a new and harsher version of itself. That she had no choice was obvious. Addy did not need Rhea to tell her that Z'har could never gain control of the Labyrinth or its magic; the power within her told her that clearly enough. The real question was, was she willing to stand up against her own father, the only family she had ever known, or would the land have to force her?

She squeezed the old woman's hands as she felt a terrible burden rest upon her young shoulders.

"I know what I must do."

Rhea sighed and flicked a hand at the small table beside her. With a barely audible pop, two steaming cups of tea appeared on the well polished surface and the Elder quickly picked them up, handing one off to the new queen.

"You should rest a few days. Then you can begin your prep-"

"No."

The Elder looked up at the young woman, startled. Adriana sipped her tea, her eyes never leaving her reflection in the rich brown liquid.

"No, Elder Rhea. It begins now."


End file.
